Before the Fall
by Lady Azar de Tameran
Summary: Fifty themes on Ukitake Jyuushiro and Kuchiki Rukia before their relationship. Gamma and Epsilon sets. Prequel to Thunderstorms and Frozen Snow.
1. Gamma

**_Before the Fall_**

**Disclaimer**: I do not own _Bleach_. That honor belongs to Tite Kubo.

**Warnings**: Spoilers for the Soul Society Arc

**All characters are depicted as legal age in this chapter and subsequent ones.**

AN: As the title implies this is supposed to cover the years before their relationship.

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#01 - Ring**

Rukia doesn't really care for jewelry, but she will occasionally wear a simple silver ring, an anonymous gift she received one White Day.

**#02 - Hero**

Kurosaki Ichigo is his hero since he succeeded in saving Rukia when Jyuushiro would've failed.

**#03 - Memory**

He only has faint recollections of the last time he was with a woman or even when he last had more than a passing interest; his illness has taken far more from him than his health.

**#04 - Box**

Tucked away on a half-hidden shelf in her room, Rukia has a box containing all of her most treasured possessions; nestled among them is the sakura blossom her captain gave the first time she was denied a promotion.

**#05 - Run**

She goes as fast as she can, but even shunpo is not fast enough for her to outrun how she feels.

**#06 - Hurricane**

Rukia has never seen a hurricane, but when she first sees Sougyo no Kotowari unleashed, reiatsu all but driving her to the ground, she thinks this is exactly what it must be like.

**#07 - Wings**

He may not have a bankai like Byakuya or Hitsugaya-kun, but he can still reach her, if only he were completely willing to take the chance.

**#08 - Cold**

Winter is her domain, her kingdom, but she's not nearly as cold or aloof as she pretends to be.

**#09 - Red**

She calmly sits with him on days he's ill, even as she tries her best to ignore just how blood-stained his robes and haori really are.

**#10 - Drink**

Shunsui pours him another cup, silently supporting his friend as he once again agonizes over his lovely subordinate and the choice that stands before him.

**#11 - Midnight**

Rukia shares her brother's love of nighttime strolls, and when she walks around the division, it isn't usual for her to wander by her captain's rooms.

**#12 - Temptation**

She has only just been saved from execution and this is hardly the time or the place, but he can't stop himself as he brushes a stray strand of hair from her face.

**#13 - View**

Jyuushiro knows that he would die a very quick death via Senbonzakura if Byakuya even had an inkling of what was going through his mind.

**#14 - Music**

He hums to himself as he gazes out his window, watching her practice kidoh and trying to fight down a tingle of jealousy when the male members of her squad do the same.

**#15 - Silk**

Her kimono is obviously expensive and in graduated shades of purple and blue, and when she softly smiles at him, he can barely withstand the urge to lean across the table and kiss her.

**#16 - Cover**

Shunsui has offered to provide an alibi, but Jyuushiro is always quick to change the subject, the temptation all too much for him.

**#17 - Promise**

He made a solemn vow to keep an eye on his fellow captain's sister; he doesn't think that this is quite what Byakuya had in mind.

**#18 - Dream**

Her hands slide over his skin after easing his haori off his shoulders and to the floor, and she moves to the sash at his waist, even as he backs them slowly to his futon; when he wakes with a start some indeterminable amount of time later, Shunsui smirks wickedly.

**#19 - Candle**

The fires burn lower as they sit next to each, almost but not quite touching; for all that the distance between them is mere inches, it might as well be miles.

**#20 - Talent**

Rukia is more than qualified enough to be a seated officer, and despite his promise to her brother, Jyuushiro can't help his desire to promote her to the position she so readily deserves.

**#21 - Silence**

She quietly watches her captain, never once voicing the thoughts running rampant in her head.

**#22 - Journey**

She has gone from the worst of the slums in Rukongai to the noblest of houses in Seireitei, but through it all, Rukia never truly wavered until she's awaiting her execution and regretting all the things she should have said but never did.

**#23 - Fire**

There is a gleam in his eyes, a burning desire that he usually keeps hidden.

**#24 - Strength**

They're unbelievably fragile after Kaien dies, more broken than whole, and Jyuushiro supposes it's only natural for them to draw together.

**#25 - Mask**

Rukia lets her noble persona slip for a moment, weariness evident on her face, and it takes all of his willpower not to do something wildly inappropriate as he tries to comfort her.

**#26 - Ice**

Jyuushiro has always been fascinated by snow, and he finds it fitting that he's just as mesmerized by Rukia, the frosty princess of the Kuchiki clan.

**#27 - Fall**

He is teetering on the edge, so close but unwilling to take the plunge, unwilling to drag her down with him.

**#28 - Forgotten**

Rukia now remembers what it's like to desire something unattainable.

**#29 - Dance**

He watches with amazement the first time he sees her zanpakutou, fascinated as Shirayuki and Rukia glide through the air in a whirl of white and black.

**#30 - Body**

Although he may be weak physically, her captain has a spirit stronger than anything she's ever encountered.

**#31 - Sacred**

There's a bond between a captain and his division; Jyuushiro fears how his subordinates would react if they knew the truth about his feelings for one of their lowest-ranked members.

**#32 - Farewells**

Jyuushiro gives her a strained but heartfelt goodbye as she steps through the gate for her first solo assignment in the living world.

**#33 - World**

"So it will continue then; this avoidance of what you feel?" Shirayuki asks as she strides up beside her, gazing out at the snowy landscape.

**#34 - Formal**

The thirteenth division has never really stood on procedure, and he often uses that as an excuse, showing far more familiarity than is strictly proper.

**#35 - Fever**

Retsu-chan is kind of enough to never mention what she overhears during his mumblings, though she often gazes at Rukia with sadness during their association meetings.

**#36 - Laugh**

Even when she first joined the division, hers was a rare but marvelous thing, and Jyuushiro frequently wonders just what he needs to do to hear it more often.

**#37 - Lies**

Jyuushiro has never been able to deceive himself, never able to hide the truth of what he feels, no matter how desperately he wants to save her from the shame of such a scandal.

**#38 - Forever**

The years pass slower than Rukia ever imagined possible when the person she wants most is always beyond her reach.

**#39 - Overwhelmed**

His reiatsu is overpowering but strangely gentle, wrapping around her protectively as the Hollows swarm toward them.

**#40 - Whisper**

"I only wish…" he murmurs, and Shunsui just nods; he knows what it is like to desire someone forbidden.

**#41 - Wait**

Rukia quietly lingers outside the door to her captain's study, and Ukitake-taichou tenderly smiles and asks her to join him for tea.

**#42 - Talk**

It isn't unusual for him to invite Rukia to his office; his third-seats think he's merely checking up on her for Byakuya, but Jyuushiro does it simply to hear the sound of her voice.

**#43 - Search**

Rukia finds him by the lake at his favorite spot under a willow tree and is about to sneak away when he calls out to her with a grin.

**#44 - Hope**

"You've lost, my friend; dear Rukia-chan has already stolen your heart."

**#45 - Eclipse**

The sun and moon dance around each other, just beyond reach, but every so often, they stray too close, brushing and blotting out all the stars.

**#46 - Gravity**

She is drawn to him, to his gentle smile and loving ways.

**#47 - Highway**

The road is clean but empty, and Jyuushiro travels it with ease to the Kuchiki estate, fighting the urge to shunpo there in his eagerness.

**#48 - Unknown**

Matsumoto swears that Rukia must have a secret admirer since she keeps receiving all sorts of gifts for her birthday and White Day.

**#49 - Lock**

Jyuushiro leaves the door and windows open since to do anything else would be beyond suspicious, but judging by the sympathetic gleam cast to Kiyone's face, he realizes that his secret really isn't that much of one anymore.

**#50 - Breathe**

He gazes into her unbelievably blue eyes and finally takes the plunge over the edge, and after a lifetime of not getting enough air, Jyuushiro is finally able to breathe.

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Ever Hopeful,

_Azar_


	2. Epsilon

**_At the End of All Things_**

**Disclaimer**: I do not own _Bleach_. That honor belongs to Tite Kubo.

**Warnings**: Spoilers for the Soul Society Arc

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#01 - Motion**

Abarai-kun races off in one direction, Shunsui and Jyuushiro the other, but all he can think about is the girl he's just left behind.

**#02 - Cool**

The breeze tugging at his robes would be refreshing were it not for the circumstances as he watches them lead her to Soukyoku's cross in the distance.

**#03 - Young**

Rukia is a mere child to all his many years, and she certainly doesn't deserve to die like this, reduced to nothing but ash.

**#04 - Last**

She strains to see him as she's lifted into the air, searching for that final glance.

**#05 - Wrong**

Rukia doesn't deserve to this, and her crimes are small things in comparison to the treachery he'll commit to save her.

**#06 - Gentle**

The rain is soft on Ichigo's window as she stares out, recalling the worst night of her life and wondering if her captain will ever forgive her for it.

**#07 - One**

She's just an unseated Shinigami, not even an officer, a single and small soul in the grand scheme of things, but her value to him is immeasurable.

**#08 - Thousand**

It feels more like a millennium rather than the two months it's really been since she went missing in the living world, and every moment is an eternity as he waits for her to return.

**#09 - King**

Genryuusai-sensei's word is law, but he's never before wanted some much to scream at his master and demand an explanation.

**#10 - Learn**

His knows the name of her zanpakutou and all her favorite books, but he has no idea where she has gone or even when she'll be back.

**#11 - Blur**

Her world is a haze, limited to her brother's fingers held tightly in hers and the hand of her captain on her shoulder.

**#12 - Wait**

Time stretches on and on as his clock ticks and she's still not reported in.

**#13 - Change**

He has never been a healthy man, but he has also never so badly needed to be one as he coughs and stumbles on his way to the Soukyoku Hill.

**#14 - Command**

"She's to be executed, Jyuu," Shunsui whispers, and the paper slips from his fingers as he rushes forward to catch his friend.

**#15 - Hold**

She is secure in Ichigo's grasp, and Jyuushiro has the insane urge to laugh at the comical way her feet dangle.

**#16 - Need**

As much as she has come to enjoy Ichigo's presence, Rukia still misses the warm caress of Ukitake-taichou's reiatsu.

**#17 - Vision**

Rukia gapes with utter shock and amazement as the Kikouou explodes in a wash of fire and energy, and her eyes unerringly land on her captain, heart fluttering in her chest.

**#18 - Attention**

During drills, his gaze inevitably always went to her, and Kiyone understands with painful clarity that her death will destroy him.

**#19 - Soul**

So small and fragile, like the most beautiful of butterfly wings, and she turns and heads through the senkaimon alone.

**#20 - Picture**

Her fingertips are thin and pale, tracing over the teacup in her hands, and he's struck speechless by the gratitude reflected on her face.

**#21 - Fool**

"I can't just stand aside, Shunsui; I can't just watch and do nothing!"

**#22 - Mad**

It's crazy, insane, unthinkable… lusting after a man old enough to be her grandfather's grandfather, but even as she sits in her cell, her captain is the only thing on her mind.

**#23 - Child**

Just a girl, and even if he weren't in love with her, Jyuushiro couldn't live with himself if he did nothing.

**#24 - Now**

Yoruichi comes to him in the dead of night, and he'd sell his soul for the chance at redemption she offers.

**#25 - Shadow**

There's an unreadable cast to his face, nameless and unknowable, and the determined look his best friend gives Shunsui sends a shiver down his spine.

**#26 - Goodbye**

As the Kikouou flies towards her, Rukia is filled with a deep sense of regret, remembering a thousand lost opportunities.

**#27 - Hide**

Shunsui's always been able to see through to the truth underneath, and Jyuushiro turns away so he won't notice the temptation deep inside as he finally steps away from the bridge.

**#28 - Fortune**

He is the nice guy, always finishing last, but there's something in the way she looks up at him that says it may not be so bad.

**#29 - Safe**

Rukia has to fight the urge to clutch onto him, just to hold on and never let go as she sobs out her agony of the last few weeks.

**#30 - Ghost**

When he first sees Ichigo, Jyuushiro thinks that he's Kaien returned to save her, and he clings to that belief even after Byakuya says differently.

**#31 - Book**

He gazes at the page, not even really seeing it as his ears strain to hear her approach.

**#32 - Eye**

Shunsui avoids his bedridden friend's gaze as he delivers the verdict, but he finally glances up at the strangled half-sob Jyuushiro makes.

**#33 - Never**

She wonders why he doesn't come to see her as she sits in the sixth division cell.

**#34 - Sing**

She goes through every story and song in her memory; anything is better than the suffocating silence and regrets that threaten to strangle her.

**#35 - Sudden**

It's unexpected but inspiring when he calls her to his office, heart nearly bursting at the excitement she shows over her first real assignment.

**#36 - Stop**

He grabs Byakuya by the shoulder, and it takes all his self-control not to shake some sense into the boy at his easy dismissal of his sister.

**#37 - Time**

He vibrates with tension, waiting… waiting, worrying as the minutes stretch into hours and then into days without a single hint of her whereabouts.

**#38 - Wash**

His reiatsu rises in a wave as he stands next to his best friend and across from his sensei, eyes simmering with something a bit too much like hatred.

**#39 - Torn**

Rukia doesn't know if she should be grateful or yell at him for joining Ichigo's madness.

**#40 - History**

Kyouraku-taichou knows her captain better than anyone, and the smile he wears as they pass in the hall gives her a flutter of hope.

**#41 - Power**

He simply lacks the strength to leave his own bed, no matter how badly he wants to go see her.

**#42 - Bother**

She knows that she's not a patient teacher, but she tries her best to emulate Ukitake-taichou as she instructs Ichigo in the not-so-fine arts of the Shinigami.

**#43 - God**

Jyuushiro has never believed in a supreme being of any kind, but he prays to every deity he can think of that he'll make it in time.

**#44 - Wall **

Rukia stares at the dimness inside Ichigo's closet, silently thinking about her captain and what he is doing at that very moment.

**#45 - Naked**

Every emotion is clear on his face as he gazes at her across the bridge, longing so powerful in his eyes that Kiyone and Sentarou are forced to look away.

**#46 - Drive**

It isn't because Ichigo resembles Kaien or even because he's just a boy; Rukia gives him her powers because her captain would've done the same thing.

**#47 - Harm**

He thinks this is his punishment for standing by for so long and letting so many suffer without a word to the contrary; his only wish is that it were him in her place.

**#48 - Precious**

She is so tiny, so delicate, and he knows to admit what he feels will probably break them both.

**#49 - Hunger**

He gives Ichigo the badge as a thank you because Jyuushiro can't find the appropriate words to describe just what the boy has really saved.

**#50 - Believe**

Her eyes are so incredibly blue as he stares up at her, and a faint smile graces her lips before Ichigo pulls her away to safety.

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Ever Hopeful,

_Azar_


End file.
